The dynamics behind the flight of the golf ball offers a
fascinating insight into the physical interworkings of air
pressure, turbulence, and aerodynamics.
When golf was first played in Scotland, most players played
using clumsy golf apparatus, with the first golf clubs and golf
balls made of wood.
In 1618 the “Featherie” was
introduced. It was a golf ball made of feather. This feather
golf ball was handcrafted from goose feathers tightly pressed
into a horse or cowhide sphere while still wet. After drying,
the leather shrank and the feathers expanded, creating a
hardened golf ball.
As this type of golf ball was
specially handcrafted, it was usually more expensive than golf
clubs, so that only a few privileged people could afford to play
golf back then.
After the Featherie golf ball came the
Guttie golf ball. This type of golf ball was made from the
rubber-like sap of the Gutta tree found in the tropics, and was
shaped into a sphere when hot and eventually into a golf ball.
As it was made of rubber, the Guttie golf ball could be cheaply
produced and easily repaired by reheating and reshaping.
Comparing the two types of golf balls, the Featherie golf ball
was said to travel farther than the Guttie golf ball because the
Guttie golf ball’s smooth surface prevented it from covering
more distance.
With this discovery, the developers of
golf balls came up with the “dimpled” golf balls that are so
predominant in modern golf nowadays.
The dimples on the
golf balls help reduce the aerodynamic drag. Aerodynamic drag
normally affects smooth golf balls and slows them down, because
when they sail through the air, they leave a pocket of
low-pressure air in its stir thus creating a drag.
By
applying dimples to the golf ball surface, the pressure
differential goes down and the drag force is reduced. These
dimples create turbulence in the air surrounding the golf ball,
which, in turn, forces the air to clasp the golf ball more
closely. By doing so, the air trails the warp created by the
golf ball towards the back instead of flowing past it. This
results in a smaller wake and lesser drag.
Dimples were
first added onto golf ball surfaces back during the gutta percha
phase. Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored golf
ball encased in a gutta percha sphere. Then in 1905 William
Taylor applied the dimple pattern to a Haskell golf ball, thus
giving rise to the modern golf ball as we know it today.
After its beginning, dimpled golf balls were officially used in
every golf tournament. In 1921, the golf ball took its current
form with standard size and weight. Nowadays there is a wide
range of golf balls to fit every style, game and condition, with
some golf balls offering control, and other golf balls offering
distance.
Though a common sight nowadays, the dimpled golf ball is not
just a mere element of the sports arena; it is a showcase of
physics at work.
About the Author:
For a more comprehensive look at golf and golf equipment, drop
by Susan's site at
http://www.golf-ball-city.info . Other informative sports
related articles are available at
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